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Hoddle Grid
Hoddle Grid is the former CBD of Melbourne, Victoria. Home to dozens of different businesses and government offices before the war, Hoddle Grid attracted much of the attention of the Chinese nuclear capacities. Since the War, the Grid has been a pile of irradiated bricks, mortar and concrete. History Pre-War Plans for the Hoddle Grid were first laid out in 1837 by surveyor and town planner Robert Hoddle. While Williamstown was intended to be the actual capital city of Victoria, the growth of Melbourne soon saw the town surpass the coastal community. Hoddle planned the Central Business District of Melbourne, which got nicknamed after him--the Hoddle Grid. Hoddle Grid continued to expand throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In the 2040s, a number of conservative politicians came into power in Melbourne, leading to little development and the preservation of the older buildings present in the grid. This prevented the number of skyscrapers Sydney was so famous for appearing in Victoria. As tensions grew between Australia, China and the United States, these conservative laws were adapted to allow the construction of a number of shelters throughout the Grid. The Melbourne Council subdivided the various shelters out to a number of companies. These different shelters were built throughout the 2070s, with construction ongoing even until the day the bombs dropped. The Great War During the War, the Hoddle Grid was targeted by a number of Chinese nuclear weapons. With little warning, airburst and ground burst weapons devasted the huge amount of people working during the day. The only people saved by the shelters built were a few maintenance employees already in the shelters when the bombs were detonated. Within minutes, the huge population housed by and working in the Grid were completely wiped out. Those that did not die immediately in the blasts soon passed under the huge amounts of radiation the Grid was subject to. Within 30 minutes, the populace and urban Hoddle Grid, home to millions, was scarcely occupied by a single soul. After the War The Hoddle grid remains dead even till today. The high amounts of radiation leave the city barren, with almost no inhabitants. While the radiation in this area has decreased in severity in modern times, the lowest radiation per second found is still lethal to unprotected individuals. Numerous factions have attempted to break into the Grid for various purposes. In the 2140s, the newly founded Victorian Railways and Hobson Bay Trading Company all attempted to cut costs by sending routes through the Grid. When the expeditions failed to return, the new companies left the Grid alone. The WDF has a few patrols occasionally entering the area to ensure no unexpected surprise. These patrols rare not common though--the amount spent in radiation protection severely outweighs any security benefits it may have. Of course, individuals outside of the main factions have attempted to break into the area. The bodies of scavengers dot the area, dead either by radiation poisoning or other wounds sustained during exploration. Occasionally, some win big--one scavenger sold Pre-War blueprints to a weapons manufactory in Williamstown for 1200 Williamstown Dollars. Geography The Hoddle Grid is a dense urban area centred in the city of Melbourne. As the CBD, it housed a large number of tall, imposing government and commercial businesses. Despite the majority of weapons used against it being airburst in nature, the area has already started to collapse in on itself. Radiation has left it devoid of plant life, existing as a barren ruin. The Grid consists of a number of primary avenues connected with small, narrow lanes. The main avenues were built wide to account for the wide turning circles of horse-drawn carts. A large number of pedestrian pathways also existed through various different shopping malls. Notes * The great density of buildings in the Hoddle Grid is caused by a ban on public places at the time of the construction. Then Governor Sir Richard Bourke had forbidden them as they encouraged a "spirit of democracy" to grow. Category:Places Category:Victoria